My Time: Michael Claessens

At Rapport, we are passionate about Time.Arguably one of the true greatest luxuries we can have, time is precious and valuable to us all.

Explore the world of time and how it shapes our lives.

I am a big fan of New York. It has an incredible cocktail scene and there’s so much good food and adventures to be had. I confess I am probably most relaxed though when I go scuba diving. There’s something about the freedom and solitude that keeps things in context. I just got back from a diving trip in the Galapagos and it was really mind blowing.

My favourite time piece is the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Dual Time and I refer you to my time away answer as to why. For somebody who travels a lot and does a fair bit of diving it’s simply perfect.

The time arc duo watch winder looks amazing. Cheap watch winders break down and are super noisy. I trust the mechanism in the time arc almost as much as I trust my watch itself.

I have learnt and continue to learn a huge amount from my Father and my Mother. We share a passion for travel, driving and of course my Father is one of the best in the alcohol business. So I actually spend quite a lot of time with my family as a way of re-charging, but also when I seek advice. Being a Dutch family, meal times are an important opportunity to reconnect and I’ll try to see them at least once a week.

I’ve always had ADHD so unwinding for me has been a bit of a quest. I’ve tried meditation and martial arts, but ultimately buying a motorbike is what helped me most. You can’t get distracted while riding, so it takes your mind off everything else.

Willem Barentsz was founded by modern-day adventurer Michael Claessens in 2016. Inspired by his own Dutch heritage, London-based Claessens embarked on a journey to develop an outstanding gin with an uncompromising passion for quality and innovation. Michael decided to launch Willem Barentsz to accommodate the growing number of people who are looking for a fresher, less bitter and more refined gin taste profile. Hence their use of jasmine flowers, complemented by a unique split-base of wheat and rye. The result is Willem Barentsz, the only split-base gin blended with the finest botanicals and infused with exotic Jasmine flowers.